Why I Chose to Stop Wearing Pants in Public

Why I Don't Wear Pants in Public Anymore

Let's face it, everybody views modesty differently.  It can mean covering your private areas, not wearing see-through clothing, covering yourself from knee to neck, or in some cultures, covering yourself from head to toe.  Muslim women often wear long tunic tops over pants, while others wear a full hijab.  So to me, the decision to turn away from pants had some basis in modesty, but mostly it was a lifestyle decision.

1. Faith and Religion

I would be lying if I said my decision to forsake pants didn't have its roots at least a little bit in my Catholic faith.  However, I'm not about to start quoting scripture from Deuteronomy or anywhere else in the Bible.  There are many verses that we do follow as a family, I'm sure there are just as many that we don't follow.  Much has changed culturally since those passages were written, so to hide behind scripture for your lifestyle choices is usually a little hypocritical.  

I was raised wearing both pants and dresses.  Although my mom did object to certain articles of clothing, I don't remember ever having clear guidelines on what was appropriate and what wasn't.  "Modesty" was for the super religious, and just wasn't a subject discussed in our household,  even though we were practicing Novus Ordo Catholics and part time Traditional Catholics. I remember having cousins who were raised with a super strict standard of modesty similar to the Duggars' early days:

Most of the Traditional Catholics we knew wore similar extreme styles that were outside the times, with no consideration for the demands of fashion.  To me, that was ridiculous.  There is no way one can live in the world and put their family on display everywhere they go for the sake of modesty.  To me, there had to be a better way.  I started questioning my modesty standards as a teenager when I started cultivating my own private prayer life.  As I prayed for my future husband, I started to think about what kind of wife I would like to be, and what kind of wife my future husband might be praying for.  I still wore pants, but I started wearing longer tops, more sleeves and longer shorts. 

After I was engaged to my husband, there was a handout that I saw at church called "The Marylike Standards of Modesty in Dress" and it is written by the Sisters of the Society of Saint Pius X in Browerville, MN.  In it, there were clear guidelines on what modest dress really meant.  I felt like I was already following those things, but then there was a passage about pants: "Girls, dress like true women and daughters of the Virgin Mary.  Be courageous enough to get rid of all your pants and shorts.  Show that you are proud to be what God has made you! This is your glory before Him and before others."  This made me think.  Wearing dresses wasn't entirely about being modest, but about being feminine.  

2. Embracing Femininity, and Modeling Modest Behavior

I still didn't have the courage to fully transition.  I bought a few more dresses, but mainly wore pants when we weren't at church or when we were out running errands.  After I had my daughter, my heart started to change.  I wanted to be a role model for her and to show her how to be a good woman.  To me, the natural thing to do was to dress her in skirts and dresses so that people could distinguish her as a girl.  Even when she was in head to toe pink, if she was wearing pants, people would still ask if she was a boy.  She's used to wearing dresses every day which can be a great teaching tool.  When you wear a skirt or a dress, you can't go around hanging upside down or sitting with your legs open.  Now that she's little, I put shorts and leggings under her skirts as she's still learning what ladylike behavior is.

After seeing all of the girls nowadays wearing leggings as pants, and crop tops with short shorts, I decided that I wanted to make the transition.  I didn't want my daughter or my sons to grow up believing that was a normal way for a lady to dress.  For me, to be a strong feminine role model for my children,  I needed to dress like a woman and embrace all things feminine.  That also meant embracing my role as a mother and wife, and cheerfully carrying out my responsibilities each day.  

3. I Feel More Put Together

I still love to wear my yoga pants when I work out, and leggings are great layering pieces under skirts in the winter, but wearing them all day makes me feel lazy and frumpy.  When I'm wearing a skirt or a dress, even if I haven't had the chance to do my hair or make-up, I feel prettier.  I'm more motivated to start my day because I actually feel like I got dressed that day.  

4. Comfort and Versatility

I have been able to wear most of my skirts and dresses through all three pregnancies, postpartum and in my skinny days.  In the summer, they're light and airy and don't cling to my sweaty legs like jeans often do. In the winter, with the right layering, they still look dressy but are far warmer than any pair of jeans or sweats that I've ever owned.  If I wear them in pregnancy, they don't cut into my gut when my belly expands, and if the skirt is long enough, I can wear the skirt above my belly for a different look.  Since we're planning on having at least a few more kids, I can save myself a lot of work and a lot of money since I won't have to be constantly switching between a maternity wardrobe and a regular wardrobe.

So, these are some of the main reasons why I don't wear pants out in public anymore.  I understand that not everybody has the lifestyle I do and therefore might have reasons to wear pants more often than I do.  Also, being that I grew up wearing pants, I know there are many ways of dressing modestly in pants and shorts.  Some people are also just more comfortable in leggings and yoga pants than in a skirt, and that's perfectly fine.  Everybody has a right to dress the way they think is appropriate.  God gave us all free will for a reason, and I think that gives humankind a beautiful diversity.  For those of you who are on the fence, like I was, or who just may be curious as to why some women choose to dress this way, this post was intended for you.  I hope you can take something positive from my experiences and make your own choice on the matter for what is fitting for you and your lifestyle.

Until Next Time,

Trad Cat Mama